2019 Week 4 Preview

Week 3 ended up having some excitement in it after all. Three ranked teams were upset. BYU continues to be an enigma while Maryland only scored 17 points in their loss to Temple. We get three ranked matchups this weekend, the biggest being 7Notre Dame at 3Georgia. I’ll be in Hawaii this weekend, so it might be tough to catch all the action, but I’m going to do my best to wake up early (games start at 6am Hawaii time) to watch some football before heading to Aloha Stadium to see Hawaii take on Central Arkansas.

My record: 5-1 last week, 13-5 overall

Notable Games
7Notre Dame at 3Georgia
This game features an interesting QB battle with Jake Fromm from Georgia and Ian Book for Notre Dame. This will be the first real test for both teams and both should be ready for the fight. Georgia took the other game of this home and home meaning Notre Dame might be looking for revenge. With this game being at Georgia, I don’t think the Irish will be able to overcome such a strong team and fanbase. This one should be close early with Georgia pulling away in the fourth quarter.
I am picking Georgia

8Auburn at 17Texas A&M
Honestly, I could flip a coin with this one. Neither team has shown great stability. Bo Nix has been decent for Auburn but is still a true freshman who hasn’t seen an SEC defense yet. Kellen Mond has been up and down this season and I’m not sure how he will fare in this game. Honestly, I am picking Auburn because they have had some experience in a big game this season and got the win. This could go either way.
I am picking Auburn

10Utah at USC (Friday)
USC is coming off a tough overtime loss to BYU. Utah looked strong against BYU earlier this season and that win has gotten more impressive. USC QB Slovis has looked strong but is still a true freshman. His win over Stanford might have been a bit misleading because Stanford was over-ranked. Utah has looked strong and they are clearly the team to beat in the Pac 12. This game might be closer than the final score suggests.
I am picking Utah

11Michigan at 13Wisconsin
This is another hard one to pick. Both teams have only played two games this season, so we don’t have too much to go on in the way of analysis. Michigan is lucky to be undefeated after their lackluster performance against Army. Wisconsin has looked strong against the two opponents they have faced. I doubt the bye week gave Michigan enough time to fix their offensive problems. Even though I picked Michigan to make it to the playoff, I highly doubt they will even be able to get by Wisconsin.
I am picking Wisconsin

22Washington at BYU
Washington got a feel good win over Hawaii last weekend after their loss to Cal a couple weeks ago. BYU is coming off two huge overtime wins over Tennessee and USC. I believe that Washington is the better team in this game and they should win. BYU has a ton of fight in them and will not go down easily. I doubt BYU will have enough depth to outlast the Huskies for four quarters.
I am picking Washington

23California at Ole Miss
Another really weird game on tap this weekend. California has a really nice win over Washington. They seem to have a good defense and so does Ole Miss. I know Ole Miss isn’t good this season, but they look like they have the capability to win some weird games. I think California is the better team and they have a good chance to win, but an SEC crowd is something different. The Grove is a wild and crazy place, I just don’t think Ole Miss is good enough to win this game.
I am picking California

San Jose State at Arkansas
The Hogs got a big win last weekend. They caught fire in the fourth quarter after Colorado State was able to tie the game at 34. They fought hard and showed a lot more spark with Nick Starkle as the QB. This should be the third win for Arkansas, meaning they would eclipse their two-win total of last season. I don’t have much analysis on San Jose State, but I don’t doubt they will put up a fight against a beatable SEC team.

Top 25
Charlotte at 1Clemson
Southern Miss at 2Alabama
7Notre Dame at 3Georgia
4LSU at Vanderbilt
5Oklahoma BYE
Miami (OH) at 6Ohio State
8Auburn at 17Texas A&M
Tennessee at 9Florida
10Utah at USC (Friday)
11Michigan at 13Wisconsin
Oklahoma State at 12Texas
13Penn State BYE
15UCF at Pittsburgh
16Oregon at Stanford
18Iowa BYE
UCLA at 19Washington State
Air Force at 20Boise State (Friday)
Old Dominion at 21Virginia
22Washington at BYU
23California at Ole Miss
Colorado at 24Arizona State
SMU at 25TCU

Other Games
Michigan State at Northwestern
Louisville at Florida State
Kentucky at Mississippi State
South Carolina at Missouri
West Virginia at Kansas
Utah State at San Diego State